1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gambling and games of skill and chance, and more specifically to a game involving a survival principle; and to a system which facilitates the implementation of the game on a very broad basis. The game involves multiple payouts for which players may vie with a combination of persistence, luck and skill, although any one of these qualities may suffice to win. Each game and the subsidiary games which proceed from it are controlled by a central authority whose writ may be narrow or broad in scope for a particular game. Jackpots are so structured that any player who persists through the course of the game has on opportunity to participate in a final payout.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Wagering games are a popular form of entertainment, involving excitement and pleasure and featuring the possibility of gain, sometimes great gain. But existing games have certain characteristics which limit their appeal in a fast-paced world, defined by such capabilities as rapid data processing and instant communications. The present invention is as far beyond such games as slot machines and bingo than a computer-driven play station is beyond a pinball machine.
Most wagering games offered today were originally developed for play in casinos or similar specialized venues. While some, notably lotteries, have incorporated certain modern features to increase the size of their player pools, no wagering games have been designed specifically to exploit current technology. The contrast between the capabilities utilized in game arcade machines and in consumer games played on the internet, and those played in casinos, is stark. The arcade games are fast-paced, with heavy player involvement, great variation during play, and are responsive to players"" actions.
Current wagering games are driven by the need to maintain player and cash turnover, a need that they meet by implementing simple rules of play and use of quick, singular decisions. One pull of the lever on a slot machine determines win or lose, and there is little drama or suspense in watching the sequential display of a winning combination. The only element typically within the player""s control is the amount of his wager, and this is usually fixed when made.
Even when the game allows the player to make choices other than the size of his bet, he is required to make singular and immutable choices, such as picking a string of numbers in keno. He has no means to assess the state of play and, for example, to cash in while he is ahead and the game is still in play; or to wager on the prospects of other players"" holdings.
Current games also lack continuity. A winner is decided quickly and then a new game is begun. There are no machanisms for building on the result of a game, to create xe2x80x9csubsidiaryxe2x80x9d games or even hierarchies of games, the course of which relies on the outcome of predecessor games. There is no mechanism providing for these games"" evolution toward an entertaining and rewarding climax.
Another feature typically lacking in current wagering games is player-to-player interaction. There is no mechanism for players to selectively share ownership of, for example, a lottery number (except privately); or to place a pari-mutuel bet on a slot machine revolution; and indeed such a participatory element would be seen as alien to the logic of current games.
Present wagering games are venue-dependent: They require the physical presence of the player, or the use of dedicated means to place a wager. This limits the player-pool and renders frequent play inconvenient. It means that a significant fraction of the players will be xe2x80x9cimpulse-buyersxe2x80x9d, who will play when the opportunity presents itself rather than seeking out a venue. This is partially solved by placing dedicated terminals and slot machines in well-frequented locations such as shopping malls and grocery stores, and by such expedients as bussing players to casinos, but these measures are not the same as providing instant access to a game of the player""s choice.
The size of the player pool, or the quantity of enrollments in a given game, is essentially fixed once a game in underway. Current games are not scalable, except in the sense that a jackpot in a lottery may grow as enrollments increase; the games have no automatic means to adjust the parameters of the game to match the size or character of the player pool.
All current games require that players make their wagers in local or casino currency, or in a universally acceptable official currency. This limits play to those who possess or can acquire the currency of choice, and makes automatic transfer of credits between venues difficult. Most importantly, it means that a truly universal game, available accross national lines, can only be offered to players possessing acceptable currency: There is no universal mechanism for accepting wagers using a xe2x80x9cneutralxe2x80x9d medium of exchange which is not an official currency.
Yet another significant feature of current games is the dearth of winners, and the inability of players to influence the likelihood of their winning once play is underway. Winning in the lottery or other wagering games is often expressed in terms of the percentage of the total amount wagered which is returned to players; this is meaningless to the individual player, who is interested in his personal winnings.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
Logic of winner selection is based on a xe2x80x9csurvivorxe2x80x9d principle, which is the opposite of the single-draw method prevalent in current games. The game is divided into xe2x80x9croundsxe2x80x9d, one round for each position in the unique set of symbols assigned to each player. In each round, symbols are selected by random means until only one remains, that one advancing to the next round, and the selected ones being xe2x80x9cretiredxe2x80x9d. This increases the excitement of the draw and thus the enjoyment of the players, particularly since holders of both the surviving and retired symbol-sets have different options available to them.
The present game is multi-tiered. The game is so structured that retirement from one game simply qualifies a symbol-set for entry into the next, Thus the holders of retired symbol-sets may enroll in a subsidiary game constructed to utilize the remaining (non-selected) symbols. Each round spawns a new game, the ultimate number of games being equal to the number of positions in the symbol-set. Thus a five-position set requires five rounds to complete one primary and four subsidiary games. The identification of the survivor for the final position resolves all open games.
The game is so structured that it continues even after the final selection. Each player who has persisted through the final round is qualified to play a summary game for a major jackpot. The players enrolled in the summary game are polled, and select the surviving symbol, one position at a time, until the winning symbol-set is complete. If the winning set is not enrolled (that is, if the holder did not choose to enroll it in the summary game), then the jackpot is divided among the enrollees in a pre-established proportion which favors those players holding the largest number of enrolled and selected symbols. Thus players are motivated to continue play right through the end of the summary game, and have a significant probability of recovering more than the successive amounts wagered on the initial, subsidiary, and summary games.
The present game is structured to take advantage of data processing and communications technology to build player participation into the game. The player is enabled, but not required, to exercise certain options during the course of play, which will affect the outcome of the game. Participation includes the polling feature built into the summary game, and also includes:
An option to increase the amount wagered on assigned symbol-sets early in the game, which increases proportionately any winnings attributable to the set;
An option to accept the game-host""s offer to buyback a surviving symbol-set, at any one of several points prior to game resolution, for a progressively increasing multiple of the original wager;
An option to sell all or part interest in a symbol-set to another enrolled player or players, employing an xe2x80x9cauctionxe2x80x9d method;
An option to purchase unenrolled symbol-sets;
An option to engage in parimutuel betting;
These participation features give the player the opportunity to control certain elements of the game, and so increases his enjoyment as well as maintaining his high interest level.
The present game is structured to allow player-to-player interaction using data-processing and computing technology, and instant communications; such interaction includes the auction feature mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and also includes the capability to form xe2x80x9ccartelsxe2x80x9d to pursue joint strategies, particularly in the summary game.
The present game is designed to be venue-independent, and to enable universal play. The player of the large-scale games may be present at a venue such as a casino; may access and play the game by remote means; or may delegate play to a proxy player or a xe2x80x9cbotxe2x80x9d operating in accordance with a protocol selected by the player in advance. This xe2x80x9cuniversalityxe2x80x9d feature is facilitated by a game currency, which allows players to make wagers and economic decisions independent of official currency valuations or restrictions.
The present game is scalable in real-time. It utilizes data-processing and communications technology to assess the size and character of the player-pool, and to organize larger-scale games when sufficient players are available, regardless of site, communication modality or geographic considerations.
The present game is structured so that every persistent player has an opportunity to win a major jackpot right through the final summary game selection process. In fact, under certain conditions and with appropriate strategic decisions, every persistent player will participate in the ultimate jackpot. In the case of large-scale games, this possibility exists only due to unique mechanizations made possible by modern communications and data-processing technologies.
Other objects and advantages of this invention are provided by the combination of data-processing and communications technology, with the logic of the wagering game disclosed herein. These objects and advantages are largely enabled by the game""s ability to track the player""s situation as the game progresses, and to inform him of his situation, his options, and the strategies available to him, all this despite the ever-present scalability factor; that is, at selected point the game may be expanded to encompass increasingly larger numbers of players.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing descriptions.